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Thursday, 23 February 2017

StyleArc Twiggy Dress

I bought the StyleArc Twiggy pattern ages ago and have only just got round to making it. It's a knit dress with several panels, so I went through my remnants to find some fabrics that worked together. The front and back panels were leftovers from my Xerea dress. I chose black for the sides for a slimming effect and a coordinating reddish scrap for the yoke.

This is slightly more fiddly to sew than it first appears, but is not difficult. The hardest part was the neck and sleeve bindings, which are shaped and sewn on to create a double layer. Care was needed to get them neat. The buttons were easy, but the instruction was a bit confusing: 'Bag out the button steps on the base of the right and left yoke'. This rather cryptic sentence simply meant to fold the centre back yoke edge right sides together at the notch, stitch the bottom from the edge to the notch and fold out again (wrong sides together) to get a neat edge below the buttons. Repeat for the other side. I didn't bother with buttonholes or a zip as the dress is easy to slip on as it is.

The main change I made was to add pockets. This was easy to do as the front side panels are the perfect pocket width. I cut the side panel pattern piece where I wanted the top of the pocket to be and added seam allowance (SA) to the lower cut edge. I added the length of the pocket plus SA to the upper cut edge and cut another piece of black fabric the length of the pocket by the width of the side panel plus SA at the top and bottom. I then sewed the pocket to the top of the lower side panel, stitched the bottom of the pocket to the upper side panel and then used the side panel as normal. Clear as mud? Good.

The fit was great without any modification except to take in the back waist a bit between the back and side panels.

This is a great pattern. It's a simple design with some eye-catching details and is a great opportunity to finish off some scraps. I'll definitely be making this again.

I love your dress! Your choice of fabric is what really makes it pop though - it's not a pattern I would have bought to be honest but seeing it on you I think I'll just have to pop on over the StyleARc. I do love their patterns I must say. This one is lovely :)

I love your version and the colours you chose ... very pictorial! the fit is superb and I like so much that you chose to finish it with the black bindings and that they appear to be laying perfectly flat!

The use these scraps to make this dress was genuis! The yoke color really looks good on you, and the rest of the dress is so Twiggy! It is just fabulous. I "think" I understand how you added those pockets, but that was a great idea. Overall, A+!

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